Coiffeur decorating apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for securing in a lady&#39;&#39;s coiffeur including a tubular member having a battery and lamp secured therein. A plurality of optic fibers are clamped and are mounted adjacent the lamp. The tubular member is enclosed within a flexible mesh to facilitate securing the tubular member within the coiffeur; the fibers may then subsequently be combed into the hair to provide a decorative light pattern. A removable lens is positioned between the lamp and the clamped ends of the fibers to permit changing the color of the light being transmitted by the optic fibers.

United States Patent Curiel 1 July4,1972

[54] COIFFEUR DECORATING APPARATUS- [72] lnventor: Raymond F. Curiel, 7100 East Hummingbird Lane, Paradise Valley, Ariz.

[22] Filed: Jan. 21,1970

[211 Appl. No.: 4,687

52 US. Cl ..240/2, 116/129 1,, 240/1 121.,

350/96 51 1111.131. ..F21v 33/00 581 Field of Search ..240/2, 6.4 u, 1 B1, 6.4, 10,

240/106, 10.64, 10 B, 10.66, 10 F, 10 T, 6.42, 59, 1; 116/129 L; 350/96; 128/23; 206/46; 340/321 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,611,019 9/1952 Warner ..240/1 E1 3,431,410 3/1969 Dolan etal. ....240/10.1

1,872,640 8/1932 Pink ..206/46 3,532,874 10/1970 Rosemast ..-...240/1 El 2,340,530 2/1944 Hefner ..240/6.42 3,450,872 6/1969 Aiello, Jr... ..240/59 3,501,628 3/1970 Madden..... ....240/6.4 3,564,231 2/1971 Bruce ..240/

Primary ExaminerLouis J. Capozi Attorney-Drummond, Cahill and Phillips [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for securing in a lady's coiffeur including a tubular member having a battery and lamp secured therein. A plurality of optic fibers are clamped and are mounted adjacent the lamp. The tubular member is enclosed within a flexible mesh to facilitate securing the tubular member within the coiffeur; the fibers may then subsequently be combed into the hair to provide a decorative light pattern. A removable lens is positioned between the lamp and the clamped ends of the fibers to permit changing the color of the light being transmitted by the optic fibers.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures P'ATENTEDJUL 4 I972 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR.

RAYMOND F. CURIEL ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUL 4 I972 SHEEF 2 OF 2 INVENTOR. RAYMOND E CURIEL ATTORNEYS COIFF EUR DECORATING APPARATUS The present invention pertains to decorative wearing apparel, and more particularly, to an apparatus that can be secured in a ladys coiffeur to provide a decorative efiect thereto.

The present day acceptance of artificial hair pieces, such as wigs and falls, has given rise to the utilization of more elaborate coiffeurs. Since a woman no longer need have long hair that would otherwise be required for an elaborate hair style, it has become commonplace to utilize wigs and falls with an abundance of hair to facilitate the styling into elaborate and attractive coiffeurs. On specific occasions, whether utilizing a wig, fall, or ones own hair, decorative effects are imparted to the hair through the utilization of a variety of implements, such as, for example, small metal flakes commonly referred to as glitter."

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for adding a decorative effect to a ladys coiffeur.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a coiffeur decorating apparatus that may be used to add lighting effects to a ladys coiffeur.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly, in accordance with the embodiment chosen for illustration, a tubular body member is provided for receiving a battery of the penlight variety. A lamp is positioned at one end of the tubular body and is mounted to enable the lamp to be electrically energized by the battery. A plurality of optic fibers having one end of each of the fibers secured to a clamp are mounted with the secured ends adjacent the lamp. A removable lens is positioned between the secured end of the fibers and the lamp to permit the color of the light being transmitted by the optic fibers to be changed. The fibers are cut to a random length. The tubular body member enclosed within a flexible mesh basket to provide a means for readily securing the tubular member within the coiffeur. When properly mounted, the tubular member is invisible and is covered by the coiffeur while the optic fibers are entwined in the hair. When the lamp is energized, the light transmitted by the optic fibers provides a multitude of light penpoints scattered throughout the coiffeur to present a pleasing decorative effect thereto.

The present invention may more readily be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view, partly exploded, of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a typical application of the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a tubular body member is provided with a means for securing the body member in a coiffeur. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, this means takes the form of a flexible mesh enclosure 1 l which may conveniently be formed of cloth or plastic and which is open at either end to receive the tubular member 10. When the tubular member is encased within the flexible mesh, the ends may be closed such as by hairpins or simply by thread. The mesh enclosure 11 provides a convenient means for mounting the tubular member in the coiffeurs since hairpins or straight pins may be passed through the mesh and anchored in the coiffeur.

One end 12 of the tubular member 10 threadily receives an end cap 13 to permit the tubular member to be opened to receive an electrical storage device such as the battery 14. A lamp 15 is mounted within a socket 16; oneelectrode 17 of the lamp engages a metal terminal 18. The second electrode 20 is urged into intimate electrical contact with a metal sleeve 21 which, in turn, fits within a threaded cylindrical extension 22 of a clamp member 23. The lamp 15 is energized by screwing end cap 13 inwardly, thus forcing the battery 14 into the tubular member 10 against the force of the biasing spring 24. Contact is thus made between the terminal 25 of the battery 14 and the terminal 18. v

The clamp member 23 may be formed in any of a variety of shapes, the form shown in FIG. 2 merely being illustrative. Optical fibers 30 are bundled" and pass through the open end 31 of a conical chamber 32 formed by crimping one end of an eyelet 31. The optical fibers 30 may be secured within the clamp 23 in any other convenient manner, such as by cementing or bonding. The optic fibers may be cut at random lengths as shown in FIG. 1 to facilitate their being combined into the coiffeur.

The clamp 23, as described previously, may be disengaged from the tubular member 10 by unscrewing the clamp to expose the interior of the tubular member. A lens 34 is positioned between the lamp and the clamp 23 and may be formed of clear plastic or a colored material to effect a change in the color of light transmitted from the lamp 15 to the ends of the optic fibers 30.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown in a typical application in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, it may be seen that the tubular member 10 encased within the flexible mesh enclosure 11 is positioned in the coiffeur and held in place by two bobby pins. In this particular instance, the bobby pins also serve the purpose of closing the ends of the mesh enclosure to keep the tubular member encased. The random length optical fibers are combed into the hair with the ends of the fibers exposed at the surface of the coiffeur. When the lamp is energized, the tiny pinpoints of light emitted from the ends of the optical fibers present a pleasing decorative effect to the coiffeur. Optical fibers of the type usable in the apparatus of the present invention are well known in the art and are readily obtainable; these fibers have the characteristic of transmitting light axially of the fiber with excellent light transmission efficiency while little light is lost by light emissions in directions other than axially of the fiber. The tubular member 10 and the contents thereof may easily be manufactured to provide a small and very lightweight device that would be hardly noticeable to the woman whose coiffeur is supporting the apparatus.

I claim:

1. The method of decorating a coiffeur with a portable source of light having a plurality of combable light-transmitting optic fibers extending therefrom, comprising the steps of:

a. securing said portable source of light in said coiffeur,

b. combing said optic fibers in said coiffeur with the ends thereof exposed, and

c. energizing said portable source of light to direct light through said combable optic fibers. 

1. The method of decorating a coiffeur with a portable source of light having a plurality of combable light-transmitting optic fibers extending therefrom, comprising the steps of: a. securing said portable source of light in said coiffeur, b. combing said optic fibers in said coiffeur with the ends thereof exposed, and c. energizing said portable source oF light to direct light through said combable optic fibers. 